


Crown of Stars

by goldenteaset



Category: Fate/Grand Order, Fate/stay night & Related Fandoms
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Dreams, Dreamsharing, Established Relationship, F/F, Implied Sexual Content, Inspired by Max Bond Craft Essence, Sharing a Bed
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-22
Updated: 2019-11-22
Packaged: 2021-02-12 19:33:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 820
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21481663
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/goldenteaset/pseuds/goldenteaset
Summary: "The dream was dazzling, and very sad.'If you remove that sword, you will no longer live as a human girl, but as a King. Is that alright?'The girl who loved horses and village festivals, who hated to see suffering—that dragon-blooded miracle pulled the sword from the stone and embraced Kingship as if it was an old friend."Ritsuka dreams of Saber's life, and finds something else awaiting her at the end.
Relationships: Fujimaru Ritsuka/Artoria Pendragon | Saber
Comments: 6
Kudos: 56





	Crown of Stars

**Author's Note:**

> I reached Bond 10 with Saber and had to celebrate with feeeeeeeeelings! And then get back to A Demanding Heart. (Not sure how Saber/Ritsuka squares with my headcanon of Saber, Gil and Diarmuid as Chaldea's premier power triad, though. Perhaps they have a schedule mapped out?)
> 
> Disclaimer: I don't own FGO.

_The dream was dazzling, and very sad._

“If you remove that sword, you will no longer live as a human girl, but as a King. Is that alright?”

_The girl who loved horses and village festivals, who hated to see suffering—that dragon-blooded miracle pulled the sword from the stone and embraced Kingship as if it was an old friend. She ran through a thousand battlefields, planned sieges, mended a fractured government. She married, and in a surprisingly human mistake, had an affair. That was her last moment as a human for a long, long time. _

_Even as the people around her shunned King Arthur for his coldness, they used it for their own ends. And yet, their King paid it no mind. Dragon-blooded she may be, but she was chained to the people’s will. That was the agreement._

_King Arthur ruled for ten years, and at twenty-five found herself facing her illegitimate heir—barely older than her own son. Still, she never faltered, even when ruin fell on her shining kingdom and the air reeked with the stench of the dead. _

_There was no reward at the end of her life. And yet, in that instant of her death, she wanted…_

“Eras will change, people will change.”

_…It all went by so quickly. Was this all she could manage? Surely she was capable of more._

_She traveled from past to future and back, always searching for that one miracle that would grant her wish. Even when that wish became twisted and broken, she still searched for a solution, searched for her golden ending._

_Somehow, her broken wish became repaired, and was able to be put aside. Perhaps she found her golden ending; perhaps she learned to accept impossibility. Regardless. It was a girl's wish, a _human_ wish, and she would respect it. _

_…Then she arrived in Chaldea, humanity’s last bastion against total destruction. There she met many people—some of which she knew once, or will know one day. But in that sea of stardust there was one who began to shine above all else._

_Fujimaru Ritsuka had no grand destiny until she arrived here. Her memories are of things the one now called Saber can barely fathom: boring classes, the laughter of children, the quiet warmth of a family viewing fireworks on summer nights. And yet, she came here. She took up a sword she had never trained for and faced the darkness anyway._

“Even if one shall never be rewarded, even if the ideal shall never be realized...”

_Yes, it was those gentle memories and quiet bravery that awakened Saber’s heart. These days with Ritsuka have been dazzling, dangerous, and dreamlike by turns. Through the battles, the peaceful atmosphere of the cafeteria and Ritsuka's room grows more tranquil. Through that peace, the battles become a means to salvage tranquility from the wreckage. It may not be as large as Britain, but…this is a place worth protecting. And there is a person to…_

\---

Ritsuka’s eyes are so blurred with tears it’s hard to tell if she’s even awake. But the proof that the dream is over lies in the woman beside her. Love-marks dot the small valley between Saber's breasts—proof of Ritsuka's fumbling attempts to make mana transfer enjoyable for both of them. Her loose golden hair flows along the pillow, and her eyes glow like emeralds in the dark.

In short: she's too beautiful to be just a dream.

“Master…?” Saber’s voice is soft with sleep. “Are you crying?”

“A bit,” Ritsuka admits, snuggling against Saber’s warm, muscled body to reassure herself that she’s not injured like on that blood-soaked hill. “I had a weird dream, that’s all.”

“Hmm. Would you care to describe it to me?”

“Well…” Ritsuka fumbles uselessly for a bit. “…I think it was about you.”

Saber’s teeth glint slightly in the dim light as she smiles. “Ah. So even in dreams, you want me beside you. Is this what Merlin meant by ‘you two can’t have enough of each other these days’, I wonder…?”

Ritsuka sweats under the weight of the blankets and those teasing words. “D-Don’t be ridiculous, it’s not like that!”

They both know that isn’t convincing; but at least it isn’t said aloud.

“Master,” Saber’s strong arms hold Ritsuka even closer—enough that she can feel her King’s steady heartbeat against hers, “rest is just as important as training, you know. We can speak of this tomorrow.”

The slight wonderment in Saber’s voice causes the backs of Ritsuka’s eyes to burn again. When she squeezes her eyes shut, she catches a glimpse of a golden crown in a churning ocean of stars, drifting ever onward toward a distant light. But before the vision fades, the light embraces the crown with a loving glow, bringing it home. 

_"A promising and fulfilling tomorrow awaits", huh?_ Ritsuka smiles into the curve of Saber's shoulder. _Yes. I'll make sure of it._

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! Feedback is appreciated. :D


End file.
